receiver dilemna (1 Viewer)

[Mikey L]

I am new to HT and am looking at two Yamaha receivers, the RXV-520 and the RXV-620. The 620 is listed with 20 more watts per channel (100 vs. 80). Besides that, the only other differences that I can see are that the 620 has on screen display, component video switching, and 5 channel stereo. I'm not sure what component video switching or 5 channel stereo are. Do I need them? Is the 620 worth the extra 100 bucks? Any insight would help.

 

[Nicholas A. Gallegos]

The 620 also has an aluminum front panel, has Yamaha's Digital Top Art design (basically, it's a "design philosophy" that's supposed to minimize analog circuitry). Each channel has a dedicated 24-bit/92 KHz DAC.
FYI, all of Yamaha's new models have 5-channel stereo as a standard feature (even their entry-level 420). And according to Yamaha's model comparison chart , the 520 has a 70Wpc x 5 power rating at 20-20000 Hz (100Wpc x 5 at 1 KHz).
Some explanations:
Component video switching: Component video is connection type that DVD players and HDTV use. It splits the video signal into 3 parts, a "Y" band (luminance; blacks and whites), and two "C/P" bands (chrominance; color differences). They provide the best possible picture quality (even better than s-video) and are actually required for HDTV and progressive video signals. The switching feature found the 620 allow you to run two component video sources into the receiver and monitor out to the TV/picture source to centralize switching on the receiver itself. Just as composite and s-video switching will do.
5-channel stereo: A mode that allows you listen to music (or any other 2-ch. source) through all 5 speakers. This eliminates the need to use matrixing like Dolby Pro Logic, which alters the original signal. 5-ch. stereo will maintain the proper stereo separation that you are used to with traditional 2-ch. stereo mode.
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[Edited last by Nicholas A. Gallegos on July 12, 2001 at 03:33 PM]

 

[Loring]

Well I will take a shot at this. (if I am wrong educate me please)
Component Video Switching: Where the receiver will take multiple Component sources and give you the ablitiy to switch between them to your one Component Video Display. Most receivers have S-Video switching since a lot of the older displays and video sources had S-Video. Component Video is the new form of connecting a Video Source to a Video Display. Better Color and Higher Bandwidth for High Resolution.
Five Channel Stereo: I would guess to say its takes a standard two channel Stereo Source and either Matrix the stereo channels to five channels or emulates five channels from the stereo source. (** Since I have never had this or done any reading on it I am not sure on this one. **)
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~Loring

• Receiver: Harman Kardon AVR65
• Center: JBL S-Center
• Fronts & Rears: JBL S-36
• Subwoofer: (coming soon) Spoiler:SVS 20-39PC

Ye do not meddle in thee affairs of thy dragon, for thou art crunchy and taste good with thy katchup

 

[jeff lam]

I have the 620 and peronally I wouldn't go with a lower model unless you absolutely must. The 620 also adds the digital volume control(shows the dB volume on screen and the volume knob doen't have beginning or end). The 520 only has a 7-o-clock to 5-o-clock dial and does not give you a dB when you increase or decrease the volume. And of course the component video, OSP, more DSP's which you may not need anyway, and a nicer design. IMO, go for the 620. It will take good care of you for years to come. Eve through some speaker upgrades. Theres plenty of power.

 

[Mikey L]

thanks for your help...I think i'll pick up the 620 as it sounds like it will be worth the investment. My TV is a bit older, so I won't be able to take advantage of the switching, but the other features sound great and i'll be happy when I upgrade to HDTV...